A native species in imminent danger of extirpation or extinction in New York (includes any species listed as federally Endangered by the United States). It is illegal to take, import, transport, possess, or sell an animal listed as Endangered, or its parts, without a permit from NYSDEC. 1) Any native species in imminent danger of extirpation or extinction in New York. 2) Any species listed as endangered by the United States Department of the Interior.

Federal Protection:Endangered

Listed as Endangered in the United States by the US Department of Interior.

State Rarity Rank:S1

A State Rarity Rank of S1 means: Typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology makes it especially vulnerable in New York State.

Global Rarity Rank:G3

A Global Rarity Rank of G3 means: Either rare and local throughout its range (21 to 100 occurrences), or found locally (even abundantly at some of its locations) in a restricted range (e.g. a physiographic region), or vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.

Did you know?
Sturgeon appearance today is almost the same as when dinosaurs walked the earth during the Triassic period, 245 to 208 million years ago. They are among the oldest living fish species.

The shortnose sturgeon population appears to be on the rebound after suffering population declines starting sometime during the late-1800s and early 1900s. During the early part of the 20th century, the Hudson River served as dumping grounds for many pollutants. Also, sturgeon eggs (caviar) were in high demand. Damming of the Hudson River at Troy cut off access to some of the traditional spawning grounds for this species. More recently, shortnose sturgeon populations have been increasing. In 1998, Cornell University researchers estimated a population of about 38,000 adults (Carlson 1998). The population appears to be stable at this time.